Kemp, who came in second for the National League most-valuable-player award in 2011, saw his difficult, injury-filled 2013 season come to an end when the ankle that had sent him to the disabled list back on July 6 flared up again.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache said the talus bone in his left ankle, one of the major weight-bearing bones in the foot, was swollen and in danger of fracturing.

“We have to protect Matt,” ElAttrache said.

The Dodgers will now have to enter the postseason without their two main center fielders, Kemp and Andre Ethier, who has a shin splint-like problem in his ankle. Ethier still can’t run the bases and is currently being considered for the postseason roster only as a pinch-hitter, which means the Dodgers' starting center fielder in the playoffs likely will be Skip Schumaker.

“If we don't have Matt and we don't have Andre, you're not as good as you can be,” Mattingly said. “We're still good enough to win.

“We've played all year long without Matt. We went 42-8 without Matt.”

Kemp, who has battled shoulder, hamstring and ankle issues for most of the season, has appeared in only 73 games.

“I can’t play, man,” Kemp said. “It’s very disappointing. I worked hard to get back. Felt really good at the plate. I really felt I could help this team win.

“They’ve done pretty well without me. I think they’re going to be OK.”

Kemp had played every game since coming off the disabled list Sept. 16, starting in nine of his last 10, before the ankle flared up. He last played Friday night.

“I felt good going home,” he said. “I woke up the next morning and my ankle was really stiff and sore. Usually, you wake up, you walk around and everything is good. And I got to the stadium and it just felt really, really, really bad.

“It’s weird to me because I was playing and everything felt good. I didn’t twist my ankle or anything during the game. Just crazy. Really crazy.”

ElAttrache said Kemp would have to remain on crutches for a least a month to keep weight off the ankle. He said the swelling should go down with rest, and expects Kemp to be ready to start the 2014 season.

Kemp is also scheduled to have off-season surgery to clean up the AC joint in his left shoulder, the one that previously was operated on. ElAttrache said he doesn’t expect the ankle to require surgery.

Ethier is scheduled to rejoin the team Tuesday for a workout, but he has yet to run the bases while rehabbing his ankle at the team training facility in Phoenix.